


Before the tide turns

by Sabeth_Ravenwing



Series: What Makes a Man [2]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Pre-Relationship, Reflection, Renegade Shepard (Mass Effect)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2019-04-07 00:28:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14068944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sabeth_Ravenwing/pseuds/Sabeth_Ravenwing
Summary: This is a short snapshot of Commander Shepard's mindset right before it hits the fan. With a few hints at his feelings for Tali. Enjoy!





	Before the tide turns

John was coming up on the end of his rounds of the ship. He always liked to check in with everyone. Not so much to be friends but to keep a finger on the pulse of the crew. Made it harder to get short sighted. Some of the people he enjoyed spending time with, others not so much. Liara’s grade school crush was diving him nuts for one. Liara was looking in the wrong place for that, John’s mind had to stay focused on the mission not some fling. He didn’t have time for that sort of silliness.

Kaidan’s winy poor me attitude was also driving him nuts, he just didn’t have what it took to be a soldier. The doe eyes when he thought John wasn’t looking didn’t help either. Now that boy was really barking up the wrong tree, John wasn’t even going to touch that. Maybe he would get lucky and boy and asari would distract each other. He could only hope.

Ash wasn’t too bad, they thought much along the same lines and enjoy much of the same literature, but she didn’t know when to keep her opinions to herself. That probably had more to do with her low rank then any curse. Even if he agreed with most of them he kept his dam mouth shut about it. He also hope he was mistaken about the look in her eyes when he spoke to her. Last thing he needed was someone else crushing on him. The mission came first.

Wrex and Garrus where easy, once they decided that killing each other was counter productive. The could talk shop with little issue. Guns and tanks were far safer subjects then families and other things. Garrus enjoyed taunting him about his driving. Not John’s fault the tire-rod on the MAKO was a crap design. If it can’t stand up to rough terrain what good is it? Time to upgrade, Garrus and Wrex just laughed at that. He didn’t totally trust them but he gut said they help him see the mission through. That was really all he could ask.

The last person on the round was Tali. It was Tali who started to bring his mind around about aliens. He found it very hard to be mistrustful of such a kind person. He loved watching her mind work as she found ways to improve everything. Just watching her made him miss his little sister Josepha. He would find himself wondering if his sister would have like Tali, and just as quickly found the answer. Yes she would have adored the girl and had become fast friends. The whole ship would have likely been in pieces but they would have been fast friends.

Best not go down that road he thought to himself, as Tali chatted on about the ships drives. Enjoy what was here and now not what could have been. Tali was a true joy to have aboard, she seemed to brightened the room just by walking in it. She even seemed to be bringing Pressly around to the idea that aliens where not so bad. Would be a shame when she had to go back to the Flotilla, but duty called and he understood that better then most.

He headed back up to the CIC. When he got there he pulled up the Galaxy Map, and plotted a course for Virmire. He had been putting off checking out the place for far too long. Joker informed him the course was locked in and they were ETA 2 hours. Time to flush Saren out of hiding.


End file.
